Puerto Ricans are now one of the majority groups in the state of Florida, and they are continually taking and forming part of the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) economy. Particularly in the Engineering and Medical fields, Puerto Ricans are finding satisfying careers and well compensated
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) – CNAs, also known as certified nurse aides are a job area which is experiencing rapid job growth worldwide, but growth has been especially strong in the state of Florida. The reason for this strong growth is that Florida has been one of the fastest growing states in the nation of the past decade, driven in large part by a large increase in the Hispanic community. This increase has meant that there is a higher demand for CNAs that are able to communicate in Spanish, and Puerto Ricans find themselves uniquely well positioned for this fact. CNAs are also in high demand due to the large portion of the population in Florida that is over 65, and a rapidly rising nursing home population.
Most Puerto Ricans become CNAs by taking part in online CNA courses, as even though they can not obtain their CNA license online, they can train for the course online and then take the test in person. Florida is the lowest cost state in the nation for becoming a CNA. The only requirement is that applicants be older than 18 years old, which makes it a great opportunity for those that do not have a college education. Starting salaries average around $15/hour in the space.
Nursing Careers – Along the same lines as CNAs, all nursing careers are currently very popular among Puerto Ricans moving to Florida. At the moment, nurses and registered nurses are among the professionals who experience the biggest pay increase when moving from Puerto Rico to Florida, in many cases earning double their salary in Florida. There are many factors are play causing this: insurance reimbursement rates, tighter job market and a stronger overall economy all influencing this outcome. It really does make it hard for many nurses unfortunately to justify staying on the island. Nursing also provides a progression option for those that have acquired their CNA license and wish to move to a more technical and better paid profession in the medical field.
Careers in the services industry – Services industry jobs tend to be very plentiful and well remunerated in Florida, in part helped by the large part tourism plays in the economy. Due to the overall strength of the economy in the state, these jobs are better paid than they are in places like Puerto Rico. Some common service jobs that Puerto Ricans explore when moving to Florida are real estate brokers, insurance service providers, human resource jobs, and certainly a great many jobs in the tourism industry.
Our site focuses primarily on the economy of Puerto Rico, and as such we seek to empower the residents of the island to reach their own economic independence. We wish that every one could reach their full potential in the island, but we realize that everybody’s situation is different and that for some residents the best option is to move to the mainland, particularly to Florida.
